Interesting thing I found out yesterday
 

So I was trying to work on my clear corners yesterday, but I forgot to turn the wheels against the direction I was working in. So I kept going at it, but eventually became frustrated. I then went and tried to turn the wheels without the car on (since supposedly you could).

What I discovered after making one half turn of the wheel was that everything would lock up. I couldn't turn the key slot, I couldn't move my gear level, couldn't turn the wheels. I was desperately afraid that I somehow activated an anti-theft mechanism, because I literally could not start the car.

After much fiddling, I found out the only way to start the car was to hold the wheel, keep trying to turn it in the same direction you were doing before, and turn the key at the same time. Unfortunately, because both the wheel and the key slot were pretty much locked in place, it took me about 15-20 minutes to figure that out.

Anyone else ever encounter this? Could be a cruel cruel prank to play on someone else =x

I think I know what you're talking about.

I've had something like this occur once before where you turn the wheel one way and somehow engages locking of the steering column when you shut it off being in the perfect spot where it locks to give you hardly any movement to turn in order to unlock and be able to use the key. Even though the movement was small, I could turn the wheel hard enough to disengage it. You just have to try turning it one way or the other and the movement will be very small but you will feel it move enough.

Happens in all cars pretty much

I was going to run onto the forum screaming and whining that I broke the car.

Fortunately the garage I use is a distance from my house, so I decided to sit there and figure it out.

I was afraid to break anything by forcing it : (

Hah, time to do it to my friend's Accord...

i kinda lol'ed when i read this..."i was like wait doesn't every car do this?"

Lol, I never knew. I never had a situation before where I would turn the wheel while the car is off.

I once 'rescued" an older woman who had locked up her Buick or whatever (most modern cars do this). She thought I was a magician when I just applied some opposing wheel pressure and turned the key. ;)

First time for everybody for something

.......

Its a safety measures.

happens to all car since god I dont even know how long. :)

it's happened as long as they have had power steering.

dude you are my hero:bowdown:

It's some crazy magic!

i think its called a wheel lock lol

How's it a safety feature? I see it more as a safety hazard.. imagine losing power on the highway, and then steering wheel locks while you're trying to coast over.. >.>


Had it happen to me several times.. and every time I always forget how I solved it the previous time..

i don't think it will do it if the key is all the way forward.

It's the anti theft lock. Just wiggle the steering wheel and turn the key at the same time.

Ahhh ok, makes sense now.. cuz yea, I think I'd shit bricks if the wheel locked on me on the highway going 75mph and the engine dies lol

Happened to me when I was 16 in my first car and it has happened to me several times since. You just need to pull the steering wheel in either direction (I usually pull left since the key is on the right) to allow the key to turn in the ignition and unlock everything.

happened to me multiple times in the 8 and the old neon, lol my dad had to show me how to unlock it when it happened to me for the first time in the neon

Yay, I don't feel stupid now lol. But I was quite seriously freaked out when it was happening =\

hahaha it's happened to me, it only took me like a minute to figure it out, but I will admit i was panicing, haha

i lock my wheel every time i park so im used to it :D

Was she a cougar? Did you get a hot date out of it?

Anti-theft feature, standard for the last 40 years or so. Wiggling the wheel while turning the key is the standard fix. Definitely not a safety feature.

Cars have had this feature off and on even before it became standard. Way back a member of the Ford family was killed when a passenger thought he was driving too fast and grabbed the key and turned the car off. That locked the steering wheel.

For a couple of decades after that Fords always had the ignition switch on the left side of the wheel instead of the right. Even when they had dropped the steering lock before the modern era.

Ken

Thanks for the info Ken, I might do this in areas I feel unsafe as a theft discouragement, but I don't think I would do it normally (it's a pain pulling that wheel).